High Altitude Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes

High altitude tested, cinnamon toast crunch cupcakes, made with flavored cereal milk in the cake batter, and frosted with fluffy cinnamon buttercream. These delicious cereal milk cupcakes are for kids and grownups alike!

You might also love these high altitude recipes for baked whole wheat cinnamon sugar donuts, snickerdoodle bundt cake, and brown sugar cinnamon layer cake.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

So Much Cinnamon Toast Crunch Flavor. If you’re anything like me, you love the flavor of the milk after finishing a bowl of cereal. By soaking milk with Cinnamon Toast Crunch before adding it to the cake batter, you get that delicious cereal milk flavor baked right into the cupcakes. Ground cinnamon in the buttercream and crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch sprinkled on top of the cupcakes adds even more cinnamon flavor.

Versatile Recipe. Instead of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cupcakes, you can try this recipe with a variety of other cereals, such as Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, Fruity Pebbles, Trix, etc.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• Whole Milk. The fat in the milk adds tenderness and moisture.
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal.
• Cake Flour. Cake flour has a lower percentage of protein in it than all purpose flour, keeping your cupcakes soft, light and fluffy.
• Sugar. Plain granulated sugar adds moisture, and of course, sweetness, to your cupcakes.
• Salt. Adds flavor and balances the sweetness.
• Baking Powder. Leavening agent, so the cupcakes rise as they bake.
• Eggs. Gives the cupcakes structure and strength.
• Butter or Oil. You can use either melted butter, vegetable oil, or a combination of both, to add flavor and moisture to your cupcakes.
• Vanilla Extract. Flavor.

Buttercream

• Butter. You can use either salted or unsalted butter. If you use salted, just omit the extra salt in the recipe.
• Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the buttercream.
• Meringue Powder. An optional ingredient if you don’t have it, but it adds stability and improves the texture of buttercream.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Cinnamon + Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
• Leftover Cereal Milk. After using the flavored cereal milk for the cupcake batter, you should have a few tablespoons leftover. You can use this in the buttercream, if needed for consistency.
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal. For decorating.

Instructions

Cupcakes

• Combine the milk and the cereal, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the milk and discard the cereal.

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line your muffin pan/s with 15 paper liners.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder, then whisk until everything is well distributed.
• Separately, whisk together 3/4 cup of the cereal milk with the eggs, melted butter/oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and whisk just until combined.

• Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling them no more than 2/3 – 3/4 full.
• Bake the cupcakes on the center oven rack for about 18 minutes, until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Cool the cupcakes in the pans for several minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt and cinnamon. With the mixer running on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls to the butter, mixing just until combined. The buttercream will be clumpy at this point.
• Add the vanilla, and increase the speed to medium. Whip the buttercream for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl several times, until very light and fluffy, adding the leftover cereal milk only as needed for desired consistency.
• Spread or pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Decorate with Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store leftover cupcakes?

You should store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that the Cinnamon Toast Crunch on top of the buttercream will absorb moisture and become soft as the cupcakes sit. I recommend waiting to decorate the cupcakes with the cereal until you’re ready to serve them, so the cereal stays crunchy.

What piping tip did you use for the buttercream?

I used tip 1M.

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